2009 has been full of firsts for me. Well recently I had another first on my trip to Minneapolis for the Table Talk Event. I was able to ride into a taxi. I know, you are thinking “what? You have never been in a taxi?” And I have honestly never rode in one. There was never a need to.

Well my recent experience was an interesting one. To the point I tweeted out what the cab number was because I was starting to panic. Basically after arriving at the airport I was directed to an area where there were a bunch of taxis waiting to take people to their destination. To me, that seems pretty handy because I thought I would have to just call a random cab company. The driver seemed nice to me. He grabbed my luggage and opened my door for me. After I got in the taxi I gave him a piece of paper that General Mills gave me. It had the addresss of the Marriott on it. The driver said it be no problem. He entered the address into a gps system that was on the dashboard. Then we were on our way. Or so I thought. The driver decided that the directions were not correct so he decided to pull over to the side of the freeway. During this time he began to enter the address at least four seperate times. He turned around and asked me where the Marriott was. I made a wierd face because I thought he was the driver so he should have some type of idea. I told him I have never been to Minneapolis so I did not know. He sort of sighed and went back to entering the address. He kept saying this did not make any sense. Now all this time I am tweeting. Unfortunately my phone was not giving me all the response tweets. If I would have saw them, I could have given the driver directions. After a little over 10 minutes he started driving again so I thought he found the directions. Not even five minutes later he pulled over again. He kept saying that this address was wrong and did not exsist. He started to ask me what should he do. That is when I started to panic! I asked him to just take me back to the airport but he did not answer me. He tried to call the taxi company and tell them he need help, that he was with a customer. That is what scared me. I just figured if you ask the driver to take you somewhere that he would. I was not sure what to do. I did not want to say the wrong thing to someone I did know in a city I was not familiar with. I was just not feeling very safe.Unfortunately they hung up on him. Finally he started driving again but the gps gave him directions to an abandoned lot that was clearly not the Marriott. He then tried to tell me that this was my hotel and I just broke down. I tried to keep calm but I ended up having a panic attack. I was scared and crying and having problems breathing. It was not good at all. Then he starts freaking out saying “What is wrong with you? I did not just put you out! Why are you crying?” This did not help at all! I was pretty proud of my self for not breaking down earlier because my anxiety level was high. I think what put me over the top is when I kept telling him this was not my hotel. Some people may think I over reacted but I have social anxiety and suffer from panic attacks. I did not feel safe and was trying very hard to make the best and remain calm. I just wanted to get to the hotel. Eventually he approached someone who was riding a bike down the road and got directions. I could not get out fast enough once we were at the Marriott!

I knew I would be sending an email and this morning I did. This is what I wrote:

On August 20, 2009 I was in Minneapolis and was sent to a taxi to take to my destination. This was my first trip to Minneapolis as well as my first time in a taxi cab. I did not expect much of a problem because I presented the driver with a paper that had the address of the Marriott Minneapolis West on it. He entered it into the gps and we were on our way. At least I thought. He soon pulls over on the freeway and enters the address again. And again and again. He tells me the address does not exist. I assure him that it must because I am on my way to a blogger’s mixer and other bloggers have made it to the Marriott already. We sit another 20 minutes, he attempts to call his company for help but they hang up for him. He starts to drive again. Once again he pulls over on the side of the freeway. He asks me where is the hotel. I explain I do not know, this is my first visit here. He tries to enter an address into the gps he says there is no such address. I ask him to please just take me back to the airport. He ignores me. He then starts to drive again after entering an address into the gps again. I assume we are on the way to the hotel. While driving he seems very confused . He pulls up to a hotel that clearly shows an address that is not that of the Marriott. I point this out. He tells me, well this is where the gps told me to turn. What do you want me to do? This is when I burst into tears. This is my first time in a cab but I assumed the driver that I am paying who lives here will take me where I need to go and not just drive around aimlessly. He drives again to an abandoned lot and says I don’t know what to do. This is making the entire experience very frightening and he still will not return me to the airport. I did not feel safe at all! Finally he asked someone riding a bike where the Marriott was and this person gave him directions. This entire experience was scary and unbelievable. I would have never thought that if I asked to be taken somewhere that the driver would just refuse. I was not given a receipt even though I signed one after I paid. I did not know what to do once I got to the hotel, I just wanted out!

I receieved an email from the assistant manager of passenger services from the Metropolitan Airports Commission within an hour. I was surprised because I did not really expect any type of response. He was apologetic and concerned. Throughout the day we were able to talk back and forth about my entire experience. He talked with driver and assured me that something like this would not happen again. And I believe him. He really listened to what I had to say and did not blow me off. I liked that.

You would think that I would never, ever get in a taxi again and I will admit that was my first thoughts. But after thinking about I realize I just need to find a better way to approach the situation. I like to travel and I am sure I will have to get in another taxi eventually. In the future I will have a print out of my own with directions from the airport to my hotel. If I am attending an event, I will try to connect with someone before hand to ride with so that I am not alone.

I am happy that I decided to send an email, it helped me to feel a little better and not so much like no one cares.

I found out today that Blog Engage has launched a new site called Blog Serp. It is almost a digg like blog directory. It should be a great way to get some backlinks. By the way if you have not heard of Blog Engage you should check it out. I joined it back in February and like it a lot. It is a way to promote those really good posts you write

Blog Engage allows you to submit your Blog Article(s) that will be reviewed by all and will be promoted, based on popularity, to the main page. When a user submits a new Blog Article(s) it will be placed in the “upcoming blog ” area until it gains sufficient votes to be promoted to the main page.

The ideal of Blog Engage is to promote interaction between bloggers by “Engaging” with each other’s blogs. Interaction that builds up quality comments and interactive discussions!

Approximately 160 million people in the United State wear glasses or contact lenses and I am one of those people. I have worn glasses off and on for year but recently I have had to wear them more. If I don’t wear them I have trouble seeing things that are far away. I hate wearing glasses because there always seems to be a speck of dirt on them and that is very distracting. A majority of the time when I leave the house I forget my glasses. I have thought about trying Lasik surgery but I was not sure how safe the procedure is. Lasers near the eyes sounded kind of scary. I decided I needed to learn more about it and I am glad I did. iLasik is considered to be so safe that NASA and the military use it to increase the performance of mission-critical personnel.

iLasik is not like Lasik. LASIK technology uses a laser instead of a blade during the procedure. It actually uses two lasers and the procedure is customized to each individual’s eyes. The 10 years spent on LASIK technology has definitely improved with the safety of the procedure. Another plus of having iLasik done is the entire procedure takes about 2 minutes. Not only is procedure fast but it is virtually painless.
If you have thinking about throwing your glasses and contacts away, visit LASIK information. The site is full of great information that should help you to decide is iLasik is for you.

If you have a blog you need to promote it. That is just common sense. You can not just expect people to just know you have a blog and visit it. Almost everyone has heard of Entrecard or BlogUpp as a way of getting more traffic and exposure. But those can not be the only two sites you use. You will get some traffic but not a lot. These are a few that seemed to catch my eye.

Blog Engage : A great site to submit your own blog posts. Readers get to vote on your blog and with enough “engages” your post moves to the front page.
Conduit: You are able to make your own toolbar for readers to download. There is also an opportunity to earn a little money.
Zimbo: A user driven site that will help not only help you get more inbound links but you will be able to reach more people who may enjoy reading your blog.

I am still learning so I am pretty sure there are tons of other sites that can be used to promote your blog. What are your recommendations?

Have you ever wondered how fast your site or blog loads? I have but I was not sure where to go to find out how. Well I did a little looking around and found a instant site test at Gomez.com. Well I entered my url and location I wanted the test to come from. It basically states that it takes 5.593 seconds for my blog to load. Now the question is “Is 5.593 seconds bad or good? I am not sure. I think I would have to compare it with others. So if you get a chance to visit Gomez.com, on your next visit could you tell how long it takes for site to load? I am just curious.

Have you heard about Alzheimer’s Memory Walk?
This walk is our country’s largest charity event to raise money and awareness for Alziemer’s care and research. What is really cool about this Memory Walk is that people of all ages are able to participate. What better way to teach our children how important it is help others then by participating in this walk?If you are unable to participate in the actual walk for any reason you can still help. You could be a team captain. If you have good organizational skills you could volunteer to help plan activities before or after the walk. You could bring family and friends to help cheer on everyone participating in the walk.

I was surprised to learn that Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Every 71 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. That is roughly 50 people every hour!!

So please if it is possible at all, find a way to help. You can do some fundraising online. Some employers offer matching gifts so that would be a great avenue to check out. Every little bit helps.

Everyone is trying to blog these days but very few want to share any tips for us newbies. I am constantly trying to figure out ways to make the best use of my online time. There has been plenty of days where I have spent hours online and accomplished next to nothing. I get easily distracted and need help with time management. Well I think I have found the answer over at There’s a Blog in my Soup. This site is run by Patrick Curl who is a professional blogger and podcaster. He offers some detailed information on a variety of subjects. So if you want to be a better blogger, check There’s a Blog in my Soup out.

I am sure there are a lot of people who are looking near and far for ways to save money. Groceries are usually the first stop when you want to cut costs. It is one of the few expenses you can control if you really work at. By working at it I mean taking the time to check your local store flyers and clip coupons. This can be overwhelming at times because it is hard to know where to begin.

Well, I found this site that may be one of the keys to helping me to get organized when saving money. It is called My Grocery Deals. This site is really easy to use. You have to register to become a member but don’t worry it is free. After you register you can start your sale searching journey. First you enter your zip code. Then you choose what stores you shop at and you are done. There are at least four way to search for deals.

1. Search by individual items
2. Search by category
3. Search by store
4. Search by your starter list

The starter list is really nice. You can customize to the products that you buy most often. If there is a sale on it , My Grocery Deals will show it. You can even filter deal if you have allergies, need low fat or cholesterol free products.

There are a few other bonuses this site offers. You are able to print coupons for some of your favorite products, the ability to print a shopping list (that you can email if needed) and a free ebook, Grocery Saving Tips. I can’t lower gas prices but I can share any useful information I find that will help to stretch money a little further.

I am super excited to have found this site. The site is simple to use and makes looking for deals quick and easy. I tested it out by searching for a few things like water and miracle whip. It worked with no problems.

For some reason I honestly thought during spring break I would really get a lot of “internet” stuff done. Well big surprise I didn’t, but that isn’t all bad. I love my kids dearly and we had some fun. Let’s just say today is a nice quiet day.

But lets get back to frugal things. Last week my husband found a really deal at Target. Pillows. I know, pillows? Yes adorable “Pirates of the Caribbean” pillows. Some have that microbead stuff in them and some are those regular throw pillows. I guess the big question is why and how many. Well my husband picked up 8. Why? My son has recently became obsessed with “Pirates of the Caribbean” so my husband bought 2. When he told me the price and the other 3 kids saw the pillows he had to go get 4 more. The pillows were regular price $13.99, on sale for $1.50!!! And oh my goodness they are soooo comfortable. It does not hurt that my favorite color is green and the pillows look nice on the couch.

I have not started my make ahead cooking yet, I hope to start soon but I am still cooking at home. We have eaten out a few times but it has definitely been in moderation and with coupons!! Last week my dad came over and we got pizzas from Sam’s club his treat. That was nice and as usual the pizza was good. I took a few pictures to show I am cooking at home which hands down is always cheaper.

this is way cheaper than shake and bake $.99, and gives chicken a nice crispy golden skin.

still one of my favorites, quick and you get 4 for $1.00

quick and easy to fix, only need to add water. $1.00

really good treat, and easy for kids to make.$1.50

the chicken wings I fried that were really big. $5.99 for a bag at my favorite store, Aldis!!

My oldest daughter turned 14 and I did not go overboard spending. My hubby went to Dollar Tree to get balloons, you really can not beat the price especially since we used to spend lots on balloons from Factory Card Outlet. We got her a pair of K-Swiss athletic shoes for $40 and a Sansa mp3 player on clearance for $25 (a really good price. Plus both hubby and I have one which we paid much more for and we love ours) She was really happy because those were the only things she really wanted. She has been asking for both of those things since her birthday last year. We are not big fans of birthday cake (DH used to work at a bakery for 7 years) so we got her the cheesecake sampler from Sam’s Club for $12.99. She really loves cheesecake so Jazz was definitely surprised. I also thought it would be a good idea to treat Jazz and a friend to a movie since I was not doing the party thing. She got to see Step Up 2 and spend time with her friend. The best part of all is we used cash so no paying for it twice!! I think it was a pretty good day all around, now I have to prepare for Nannah’s birthday which is April 30th.

Today I hope to grocery shopping, but I doubt it because I am not prepared. No list is made and no coupons are cut. It is so quiet, I just want to enjoy the peace and relax.

Sorry for such a long post but I wanted to catch up.

I love my bank because it has a pretty good rewards program where we get money back. That is a big plus in my book. Another reason I am showing my bank “love” is because I was going through my mail and found 2 coupons for a free fee reversal. This means if for some reason I have a overdraft, I give the bank my coupon and they erase the $39 overdraft fee! This is just one of those things that I am glad to have in hopes that I will not need it. And I would like to give myself a little pat on the back because we have had no overdrafts since the beginning of the new year!!! (That is a big deal since I used to get 3-8 overdrafts a month.)

I just found out they have a savings plan for kids. I think that is a great idea because while I am learning how to make better money decisions I would like to teach my kids about money right from the start. It is called the

Free & Easy Kids Club Savings Account

By making it fun and rewarding to save, the Free and Easy Kids Club savings account helps teach savings habits that kids can take into adulthood!

Create Great Savings Habits:

• Just $10 to open and receive FREE gift: kids can start with what’s in their piggy bank!
• Prizes awarded for deposits: Kids receive a prize whenever they make a deposit (one per day please!) so they look forward to saving!
• Interest earning: Kids can watch their money grow and learn how interest works.
• Monthly statement: Kids get a statement showing how much they’ve saved, which encourages more saving!
• Free & Easy Kids Club website: fun activities, games and practical tips for kids and parents on allowance, savings and more can be found at our Kids Club Website!

Flexibility for small and big savers:

• Every dollar counts: Kids are rewarded for deposits of just $1 but we hope they save much more!
• Automatic deposits: Adults can set up systematic deposits in any amount from their checking or savings account into their child’s account.
• No monthly service fees or minimum balance requirements
• Any adult including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles can open an account for the special children in their lives.

I think this will encourage even the youngest member of our family to save. I plan on signing the kids up next week.